12 Former Security Guards File Civil Suit Against Security Oriented Services
Twelve former employees of Security Oriented Services, S.O.S., today filed civil suits against their former boss. We have reported on instances where the security guards went on go slow or did not show up to work because they claimed that at times they were going weeks without being paid. S.O.S. owner Paul Garcia and supervisor Chrispin Spain were at court for a judgment summons with respect to a case brought against them by the Social Security Board for over eight thousand dollars in debt to the S.S.B. A judgement summons means the court will be examining their means to pay their debt. That judgement was from October nineteenth, 2022 for which no payment has been made. And while that matter was adjourned, Garcia and Spain exited the courtroom and were met by ten of the twelve disgruntled former employees. One of those employees is seventy-one-year-old Allison Clare who says that the company owes him over five thousand dollars in back pay. He was employed with the security firm for eleven years.
Allison Clare
Allison Clare, Former Employee, S.O.S.
“I came to file a suit against them for not paying. They haven’t paid us from December sixteenth and they keep telling us that they are going to pay, after that they are going to pay and pay and every week they say they are going to pay us and they haven’t paid us up to now.”
Reporter
“What are you hoping to get out of a civil suit and what kind of debts are they in with you at this moment after eleven years?”
Allison Clare
“They are in debt with me about five thousand dollars.”
Reporter
“As it relates to holiday pay, have you ever taken a holiday and not been paid?”
Allison Clare
“I haven’t taken a holiday, but I get paid for the holiday pay.”
Reporter
“How about social security? Do you know if the company had been paying social security for you within that eleven years?”
Allison Clare
“Well I had get my social long time ago. They tell me to come back tomorrow so that I can finish the civil suit.”
Reporter
“So you started the suit today?”
Allison Clare
“Yes ma’am.”
Reporter
“Did you at any point before coming here today, were you able to speak to the managers to say let’s come to the table?”
Allison Clare
“No ma’am cause they are not in the office; their office is closed. And you can’t get in touch with them because sometimes you call and they don’t answer the phone.”
The former employees had visited the Labour Department and they say that this legal course is their last resort. The company was hired on a three-year contract to secure the judiciary; coincidentally, the contract expires today. From our records, S.O.S. has lost several contracts, which includes securing the Belize Family Court earlier this year. They’ve also lost contracts with Vikings Club, Barrow and Williams; 100 Gas Station, Fair Brothers and the K.H.M.H.
